Introduction

Your little Lab may just be a puppy, but they already have enough energy to keep you up all night. The kids absolutely love playing with your new furry family member. In fact, so much so that getting them to sleep in time is proving even more difficult than usual. Even your partner seems to have a rather large soft spot for the pooch. But your house is already crowded and you always intended for them to sleep outside. So you’re going to have to cut down on cuddles on the sofa in the evenings and get them used to their outdoor bedroom.

Training your puppy to sleep outside will bring several benefits. Firstly, you will have a canine watchdog outside who will probably alert you to the sound of any intruders. You will also enforce some strict boundaries, preventing them from developing separation anxiety. Unfortunately, some puppies become so dependant on their owners that they are seriously unhappy without them around.

Defining Tasks

Fortunately, training your Labrador puppy to sleep outside isn’t as challenging as you may think. Often, the difficult part comes in having the self-restraint yourself to leave them outside. But if you can overcome that hurdle, then training will consist of several parts. Firstly, you’ll need to make sure your dog has everything they need to sleep outside. You will also need to gradually get them used to their new sleeping environment. Finally, you will need to use a variety of incentives to keep them content outside at night.

Because your Labrador Puppy is young, they should be receptive and still learning the rules. This means it could take just several days for them to get into the habit of sleeping outside. However, if they are particularly clingy and don’t want to leave your side, then you may need several weeks. Get training right and you’ll have taken a big step towards having a well-trained outdoor dog.

Getting Started

Before you can begin work, you need to make sure you have everything you need. Firstly, you will need a spot for them to sleep outside, be it a kennel, shelter or bed. You will then need to stock up on tasty treats or their favorite food. Some toys will also be required.

The other thing your pup will need from you is time. Set aside a few minutes each evening to say goodnight and a few minutes in the morning too.

Once you have all that, just bring patience and a can-do attitude, then work can begin!

The Setting the Scene Method

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Step

1

Make it comfy

You need to make your Lab puppy’s sleeping spot outside as comfortable as you can. A bed in the kennel and blankets could all help put them at ease and keep them content when the sun goes down.

Step

2

Water

If the pup is going to be outside all night, they must have access to water. Without a water bowl, you will hear them howling and they won’t be able to sleep.

Step

3

Leave treats

To tempt them into their sleeping area in the first place, leave a treat there. Do this each evening and they will soon associate their outdoor sleeping area with a place they get tasty rewards. You can also leave the odd treat there in the day.

Step

4

Positive only

Make sure all interaction your Lab puppy has with you in their outdoor sleeping area is positive. That means you can’t send them there as a punishment. If they think of it as a place with negative consequences, they won’t want to go there willingly.

Step

5

Toys

Also try leaving a toy or two in their sleeping area. Not only will it make the space feel like theirs, but it will also give them something to play around with, should they wake up. This step will seriously help make the outdoor area feel like their territory.

Recommend training method?

The Take it Slow Method

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Step

1

Day time play

Spend a few minutes playing around with your Lab in the place outside you would like them to sleep. Play tug of war, be animated and get them worked up. You want them to be comfortable there.

Step

2

Leave them

Now leave them there for a few minutes. You can stay relatively close by and comfort them but make sure they are outside alone. Then after a few minutes have gone by you can release them again.

Step

3

Increase the time

When you go out and let the pup go, give them a treat and some praise. Then next time leave them in there for a little while longer. The trick is to gradually build their confidence and leave them there for a little longer each time.

Step

4

Say good night

The other thing you can do to ease your puppy into sleeping outside is say good night. Spend a couple of minutes stroking them and whispering them to quietly. Then say good night and leave them.

Step

5

Say good morning

Go out in the morning and say good morning with a treat and some attention. The aim is to get them in a consistent routine where they know you will be with them before bed and there in the morning.

Recommend training method?

The Big Move Method

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Step

1

Day time nap

You can help train your Lab puppy to sleep outside at night by first helping them sleep there in the day. So take out a chair to a spot they look comfortable in and wait for them to fall asleep. Having you close by will put them at ease.

Step

2

Put them out

Continue sitting out for a few days while they sleep outside in the day. Then start putting them out for a few hours at night, so they get used to being out there. However, then let them back in to sleep inside at night.

Step

3

The move

After several days of just putting them out for a few hours, collect all of your pup's belongings, such as their crate, water bowl and toys, and put them outside in the spot they’ve been napping in during the day.

Step

4

Go out and check

For the first few full nights they sleep outside, go out every now and then to reassure them and give them the odd treat. This will help them relax and stick through the whole night.

Step

5

Don’t force them

If your puppy still doesn’t look comfortable sleeping outside, let them back in the house for a few more days. You don’t want to push too hard at the beginning, this could just seriously scare them and push back the end result.

Recommend training method?

Success Stories and Training Questions

Training Questions and Answers

Question

Bracken

Labrador Retriever

10 Weeks

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Question

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Bracken

Labrador Retriever

10 Weeks

We recently purchased our beautiful lab bracken, his move from the farm where he was kept outside in a pig sty with a heat lamp and 8 siblings to a cosy terraced house with a crate. He settled in no problem at all and we almost have his toilet trained after just 12 days with us (over the festive period too where we had lots of visits and visitors!) Unfortunatly my partner turns out to be allergic to the dog! It's nothing we arnt managing by cleaning and keeping them separate as much as we can do but we are looking to put bracken in a kennel outside. I'm worried that this is a cruel option but I know dogs are often kept outside and lead very happy lives Do you think it's unfair to now put bracken outside (in a proper insulated and heated kennel) once he's just settled in his new home. I can't bear the thought of selling him but when my partner can't breath on a night time something needs to give. When he's in the kennel he will be walked morning and evening but be alone from 9 to 4 until he's old enough to be taken to work with my partner where he will be outdoors all day running around! Am I being selfish keeping the dog but putting him in a kennel(he will still be allowed in the house for short periods of time) or am i being soft and he will be fine in a kennel as he's a sturdy dog who spent his first 8 weeks in a stone outhouse! Help!

2 weeks, 3 days ago

Bracken's Owner

Caitlin Crittenden

Dog Trainer

151Dog owners recommended

Hello Amanda,
There are outdoors dogs who are happy. The key is how much time will you be spending with him in any location realistically. At this age he will need a lot of mental stimulation, a moderate amount of exercise, and a LOT of socialization. If you are able to take him lots of places, spend time walking and training him multiple times of day and generally giving him what he needs in the kennel and day to day, then he could be happy, but that will require a lot of time, intentionality, and commitment from you. Right now is the most crucial age for familiarizing him with people, puppies, new places, and other things he will experience in life.
If you do decide to re-home him, many reputable breeders will take puppies back or there are pure bred rescues who foster dogs in there homes before adopting them to a carefully selected family.
Best of luck training,
Caitlin Crittenden

2 weeks, 3 days ago

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Question

Pax

Labrador Retriever

12 Months

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Question

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Pax

Labrador Retriever

12 Months

Hello our dog Pax has always slept outside (apart from the very first months with us). In the last month she has been waking any time between 3am to 5am and scratching and yelping at door to come in. We have to let her in as we have neighbours - although for a week we did try and ignore it but neighbours were a tad put out.

When she comes in she jumps on bed and goes back to sleep. She won’t sleep on one of her beds inside.

We did baby sit another dog for what was supposed to be a month but turned into ten weeks and it has pretty much started since Evie went home.

I know we have made soooo many errors here. Letting her in, letting the other dog stay so long and of course letting her on bed. I am not sure how to address this issue.

We are going away for a month next Sunday and she is staying at the breeder’s home (back with Evie). I believe she will be sleeping in her crate, I am hoping as she won’t get the attention we give her we can use this month to break all of her and our bad habits regarding this sleeping issue.

Any advice you can give me? or due to my bad decisions and being soft I’m on my own here??

Apart from this issue she is a fabulous dog.

Any thing would be appreciated

Nell

6 months, 4 weeks ago

Pax's Owner

Caitlin Crittenden

Dog Trainer

151Dog owners recommended

Hello Nell,
The best solution might be for her to sleep in her crate inside your home. If she was not disturbing your neighbors, then you would need to let her cry it out outside until she gets used to sleeping out there again. By using a crate, you can teach her to sleep by herself but she will be inside so she should not bother your neighbors. When she goes to the breeder's house, if they work on crate training with her, then she might come back used to sleeping in the crate. If that happens then it will be extremely important for you be firm and let her cry if she pitches a fit when she comes back home. If the breeder has already gotten her used to the crate, then it should only take a couple of nights before she gives up and starts sleeping in the crate at your house. If you give in and go to her or let her out, then it will take several days before she stops crying and you will need to be even firmer. If the breeder does not train her for you, then you will need to place her into the crate with a safe chew toy and night and let her cry.
Sleeping in the crate is not only safer but it can also help her learn independence, self-soothing, self-entertaining, and prevent future separation anxiety. It also makes it far easier to crate her later in life when she needs to be boarded, is sick, injured, traveling, or needs to be left alone inside. Essentially, crating a puppy during the first couple years of life prevents bad habits from forming, keeps them safe when you cannot supervise them, helps prevent separation anxiety by teaching independence, and leads to a lot more freedom later in life. Try to remember the benefits when you are trying to be firm. She is old enough to go all night.
Best of luck training,
Caitlin Crittenden